The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1887-02-17
PROTECTION OF OUR FISHERMEN.
The Position of Congress Compared With
the Acts Which Led to the War Of 1912.
National Republican.

National Republican.
The bill of protection which has passed
the Senate, ard which will soon become
law by the concurrence Of the House,
is entitled can act to authorize the Presi.
dent of the United States to protect and
defend the rights of American ishering
vessels, American fishermen, American
trading and other vessels in certain cases,
and for other purposes" The at cannot
be considered measure of retaliation
for any past outrages on TIE rights of our
fishermen, nor be regarded as any impe-
diment to the negotiations now pending
between the United States ard Great
Britain for satisfaction and an amicable
settlement of this fishery question. The
bill enacts:
That whenever the President of the
United States shall be satisfied that
American fishing vessels or American
fishermen, visiting or being in the waters
or at any ports or places of the British
dominions of North America, are or then
lately have been denied or abridged in
the enjoyment of any rights secured to
them by treaty or law, or are then lately
have been unjustly vexed or haassed in
the epjoymeuts of such rights, or suhjec.
ted to unreasonable restrictions, regula.
tions, or requirements in respec:of such
rights, or otherwise upjustly yexed or
harassed in said waters, ports, OF places /;
or whenever the President Of thu United
States shall be satisfied that any such
fishing vessels or fishermen, having a
permit under the laws of the United
States to touch and trade at any port or
ports, place or places, in the British
dominiops of North America, are or then
lately have been denied the privilege of
entertaining such port or ports, place OF
places, in the same manner and under
the same regulations as may exist therein
applicable to trading vessels of The most
favored nation, or shall be unjusly vexed
or harassed in respect there of, or other
wise unjuslly vexed or harassed in said
waters, ports, or places, or shall be pre-
vented from purchasing such supplies as
may there be lawfully sold to trading
vessels of the most favored nation, o,
whenever the President of the United
States shall be satisfied that any other
vessels of the United States, their mas.
ters or crews. 80 arriving at or being in
such British waters or ports or places OF
the British dominions Of North America
are or then lately have beer denied any
of the privileges therein accorded to the
vessels, their masters, or crews Of the
most favored nation, or unjustly vexed OF
harassed 10 respect Of the same, or other.
wise unjustly vexed or harasset in said
waters, ports, or places, then and in
either or all of such cases, it shall be
lawful, aud it shall be the duty of the
President of the United Statel, in his
discretion, by proclamation to that effect,
to deny vessels, their masters and crews,
of the British dominions of North Amer
ica. any entrance into the waters, ports,
or places of or within the United States
with such exceptions in regard to vessels
in distress, stress of weather, or needing
supplies as to the President shall seem
proper), such vessels shall have come
directly from said dominions On such
destined voyage or by way OF some port
or place in such destined voyego else.
where, ard to deny entry into any port
or place in the United States Of fresh fish
or salt fish or any other product Of said
dominions, or other goods coming from
said dominious to the United States, the
President may, in his discretion. apply
such proclamation to any par, or to all
of the foregoing named subjects, and may
revoke, qualify, limit, and renew sucs
proclamation from time to time as he
may deem necessary to the full and JUS
execution of the purposes of this act.
And then follows the penalty for it'
violation.
It does not become retaliatorJ until s
new overt act of outrage is committed
arainst our fishermen by the Canadiar
authorities, when the President is au
thorized to issue his proclamation, closing
the ports of the United Ststes against th'
vessels and imports of British dominions
in North America. 1t is simply q pro
lection to our fishermen by signifying tt
Great Britain that further outrsges vii
be rsdressed by prohibiting Canadian
vessels and cargoes from entering ou
ports. The issuing of the proclamation
would in 20 sense be casus belt
although should the British governmen
uphold the Canadian authorities in futur
unlawful acts it might lead to a. ruptur
between the two governments.
During the war between France an
!: England innumerable outrages and vexa
tions we're committed Oh cur coastin
vessels by British ships of war, and sue
was then the licentious spirit Of The Brit
, ish naval commanders that they did nc
, hesitate 10 fire into our coasters to brin
! them to, and in one instance killed on
!; of the crew. The neutrality of our port
was grossly violated with impunity. I
1904 Capt Bradley, of the British frigat
} Cambriau, entered the harbor of Ne
, York, seized a merchant yessels-ju'
, arrived-aud carried off and impressed
! number of the seamen and passenger
, setting at defiance the civil authorities.
3 In 1906 the French ship Imptrieur,
3 seventy.four guns, when aground on th
8 shore of North Carolina, was Tired ol
I,...I H., thxoo Rr;t;o